own our broadcast this monday night, out in the cold. a huge percentage of the nation feeling it tonight, an early winter blast that did some real damage. second opinion. a big setback in court for so-called obama care. the president's health care law. made in the usa. the huge arsenal, the guns fueling mexico's deadly drug war. guess where they come from? under the influence. if you think you can drink and drive and get away with it, there's something you should know. and battle of the bulge. the army sets its sights on a new enemy and this means war.

"nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. tonight, there is snow over 39% of the land mass of the continental united states. in some places, the snow dips way down to the snow. it snowed briefly in atlanta today where it never got above freezing. 10 degrees in detroit. 7 in chicago. minus 14 in minneapolis. where the temperature is the least of their worries. they don't scare easily in winter in minnesota, in part because they get to watch their vikings indoors. that is until yesterday. this was down right scary. 17 inches of snowfall, just too much for the inflatable roof at the metrodome. the roof gave way. snow on the field. the game was moved to detroit tonight, and that's just part of the story in this blast of weather that has crushed some records going back 100 years.

our own kevin tibbles starts us off tonight at the former dome in minneapolis. kevin, good evening. >> reporter: brian, this darkened hulk of a building behind me here was supposed to be teaming with football fans tonight. instead, weather woes even in minnesota. the big digout after the big whiteout. >> we're kind of stuck inside yesterday, and we refused to be stuck today. >> reporter: 17 inches of snow in minneapolis, the city scrambled to find places to put it. motorists struggled to pry their cars out of it. >> just digging people out, get home, watch football. >> reporter: that football game between the vikings and the new york giants was supposed to be played here in minneapolis. that is, until the metrodome's inflatable roof failed under the weight of the snow, tearing three massive holes in the cover and collapsing it like a souffle. >> we use our normal procedures

to melt snow, including hot air, and putting people on the roof with hot water to wash it off. the conditions got too bad and we weren't making any headway. >> reporter: in detroit where the game was shifted, fans are being offered free tickets. problem is, there's record snowfall there, too. in indiana, whiteouts left 70 people stranded in vehicles overnight. >> looks like it's all clear and then you try to step on the brakes and you're all over the road. >> reporter: here in cleveland, whiteouts are in some spots. the storm is moving out but the deep freeze is moving west. >> reporter: chicago's o'hare airport struggled to recover from more than 1,000 canceled flights on sunday. outside kansas, a broken water main led to an instant ice palace. >> i get a lot of questions like what happened, how did you do that? i'm like, it wasn't me.

>> reporter: and old man winter is leaving his mark. minneapolis expects to lose some $9 million because yesterday's game had to be moved. and speaking of moving, the snow has moved east and the deep freeze has moved in. brian? >> good night for you to get inside and watch some football. kevin tibbles in minneapolis, the twin cities for us tonight. this bitter cold has pushed its way into south florida where a hard freeze warning is out for tonight. the cold could prove disastrous for farmers and, of course, the rest of us consumers. our own kerry sanders is in bell glade, florida tonight. kerry, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. florida's governor has established a state of emergency to help farmers. we haven't seen a hard freeze like the one that's forecast here for florida tonight since 1989. florida's often referred to as the winter salad bowl this time of year, because so much of the

fresh food that we get at the grocery store across the nation comes from florida. tonight's strawberry farmers plan to sprinkle their fields with water to create an ice blanket around the berries, keeping them at 32 degrees. citrus growers are watching closely. if the temperatures hit 28 degrees or lower for more than four hours, there could be severe damage. orange juice futures today hit three-year highs. lettuce and spinach growers picking as much as they can. that's the case here. the plan, leave it covered tonight. the idea, the heat radiated out may be reflected back down. but the reality down is, temperatures will hit into the 20s. brian? >> kerry sanders in florida. and in the pacific northwest

tonight, the problem is rain. there have been mudslides, houses swamped, raging rivers there. all the flooding has led to several rescues around the region, including this one. a woman backed her car into a swollen pond. rescuers had to smash the car windows to get her out. in the end, thankfully she was unhurt. now to politics. a pointed reminder that the battle over health care is far from over. the sweeping reform act that some have called obama care hit a serious legal roadblock today. almost nine months after it was signed into law by the president. a federal court declared a key part of it inconstitutional. we get more tonight on what all of this means from our justice correspondent pete williams from our washington newsroom. >> reporter: brian, this is the first time that any federal judge has found the health care law unconstitutional. while this doesn't stop the law for know, it does tee up a

mammoth legal battle to come. it's a victory for the state of virginia, which arked that the heart of the law requiring everyone to buy insurance was unconstitutional. >> the rule of law means something. even the president and congress must act within the boundaries set by the constitution. >> reporter: federal judge henry hudson says while the congress gives congress broad power, it has no power to regulate inactivity, such as declining to buy insurance. that means, he said, that congress had no sport to compel anyone to enter the stream of commerce and buy something. the judge rejected the obama administration's argument that no one entirely stays out of the health care economy. eventually getting care from somewhere like an emergency room. while conservatives celebrated, the president took the ruling in stride, telling nbc affiliate

wfla it's a bump on a long road through the course. >> that's the nature of these things. when social security was passed, there were all kinds of lawsuits. when the voting rights act was passed, there were all kinds of lawsuits. >> reporter: in fact, about two dozen lawsuits over the health care law. two other federal judges have upheld it. and legal scholars say when it gets to the supreme court, today's ruling will not be as important. >> because it's just one judge and on an issue of this importance, the supreme court justices, this is a great constitutional issue, will approach it from their own standpoint and make their own decision. >> reporter: the judge today declined to stop the mandatory insurance requirement from taking effect. he said it doesn't kick in for a few more years and that gives the courts time to sort it out. >> pete, thanks. the other big agenda item in washington today, that tax cut deal the president cut with republicans. he's been trying to bring his

own party members along ever since. today, that effort passed its first major test. the story from our own kelly o'donnell who is covering the hill tonight. kelly, good evening. >> reporter: hi there, brian. this was overwhelming. more than 80 senators voted to take this critical procedural step that would prevent everyone's taxes from going up next month and keep unemployment checks coming. it is truly rare to see the white house, republicans and democrats in the senate, all together on this issue. even though there are some parts of it that each doesn't like. the president stopped by the briefing room late today to say this is proof that two parties can work together and urged the house to move quickly, too. this package adds to the deficit and many liberal members thinks it giving away too much to the wealthy. kelly o'donnell in washington tonight with the latest on that front. now we turn to our ongoing coverage of what we've been calling "the war next door." the deadly war being waged by

mexican drug cartels, south of the u.s. border. it's no secret that cartel's biggest drug market is here in the u.s. but most of the thousands of weapons used to fight the war, a huge arsenal, are also made on this side of the border in the u.s. nbc's mark potter has been investigating this part of the story. >> reporter: at a military base in mexico city, soldiers use torches and hammers to destroy some of the 90,000 weapons the mexican government has seized in the last four years. most from the vicious war with the drug cartels. in that war, mexican authorities are often outgunned by drug traffickers armed with high powered weapons. american firearms agents estimate about 80% of those weapons are purchased in the

u.s. and smuggled across the border into mexico where gun laws there make it much harder to buy weapons. to obtain weapons in the united states, the mexican cartels hire americans with clean records to buy the guns for them. they're called straw buyers. most of the guns with bought over the counter in thousands of american gun shops or shows along the border and around the country. under u.s. law, it is legal to sell these high-powered weapons but illegal to buy them for someone else. in oklahoma city, former state far nottics agent francisco reyes pleaded guilty for trafficking guns. one of his buyers was a father of four in need of money who was paid to buy assault rifles. >> why would anyone need that many? and give you cash? >> reporter: authorities say straw buyers come from all walks of life and paid up to $200 per weapon. >> they are being taken advantage of by these cartels

and really providing something that's going to be used to kill someone in mexico. >> reporter: u.s. firearms agents say guns bought in a houston case were found at several mexican crime scenes, including this one in which four police officers and three sek tars were murdered. they also say this surveillance video shows weapons being hidden in a warehouse near ft. worth, texas. >> they're unloading long boxes. >> reporter: weapons bound for mexico to arm a murderous drug cartel. to sneak them across the border, guns are hidden inside cars and trucks. >> they even build secret compartments. >> reporter: officials say they have seized more than 10,000 weapons headed for mexico and they're improving cooperation with agents in tracing weapons there. but mexican officials still urge

the u.s. to do much more to slow the weapons flow. now known as the iron river. mark potter, nbc news, mexico city. and when we continue on a monday night, a new weapon in the fight against drunk driving. a story every driver will want to hear. and later, a new mission for american soldiers, and it begins in the mess hall. new medicare benefits from the new healthcare law. yeah, and most people will get free cancer screenings and 50 percent off of brand name prescription drugs if you're in the donut hole. [ chuckles ] you read my paper. i went to medicare.gov. it's open enrollment, you know. so i checked out all the options and found a better plan to fit my budget. well, you know what they say. oh! "knowledge is power." whew! [ male announcer ] visit medicare.gov or call 1-800-medicare.

nothing beats prevacid®24hr. just one pill helps keep you heartburn free for a full 24 hours. prevent the acid that causes frequent heartburn with prevacid®24hr, all day, all night. nothing works better. i'd get this tightness in my chest. so i went back to my doctor again. we chose symbicort to help control my asthma symptoms all day and night. [ man ] symbicort improves my lung function, starting within 15 minutes. symbicort will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. it is a combination of two medicines and should not be taken more often than prescribed. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol increase the risk of death from asthma problems, and children and adolescents may have an increased risk of being hospitalized for asthma problems. symbicort is not for people whose asthma is well controlled with a long-term asthma control medicine like inhaled corticosteroids. once your asthma is well controlled,

your doctor will decide if you can stop symbicort without loss of control, and prescribe a long-term asthma control medicine. be sure to see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. symbicort is a good choice to help control my asthma all day and night. [ inhales ] [ exhales ] ask your doctor if symbicort is a good choice for you. [ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. all those extra fees the airlines have been charging for things that used to be free, turns out they've been pure profit for a lot of the airlines. the government said today major airlines have raked in $2.5 billion on baggage fees alone. $2.5 billion. that's just through end the of september. it's up 22.5% over last year. for example, when us airways added up all the fees it collects from baggage to ticket charges and stuff they sell on board the aircraft, they netted

$500 million, which is almost exactly what they're expected profit will be for the year. this is the time of year when you often hear people say, i just had a few beers or a few glasses of wine at the party and that was a while ago. and i'm okay to drive. and yet because 11,000 people died in alcohol-related accidents last year, the feds have a new plan to curtail drinking and driving and they say they're serious about it. our own tom costello has details from washington tonight. tom, good evening. >> reporter: the trouble is for police that one in four drunk driving suspects refuses to take a breathalyzer test, hoping to avoid a dui conviction. in some states it's even higher, 81% in new hampshire. so the government is urging states to adopt a no-refusal policy. that means if a driver refuses a breathalyzer test, police notify an on-call judge who authorizes

a blood sample to be taken. arizona, florida, idaho, illinois, kansas, louisiana, missouri, texas and utah all have that policy. 21 other states have the authority to institute the policy, but they haven't. the federal government would like to see all states adopt the no refusal approach. prosecutors in states that have it report more guilty pleas, more convictions and the number of alcohol related car crashes drops as drunk drivers lose their license. >> tom costello with the story out of our washington bureau. one of this nation's oldest grocery store chains, the a&p, has filed for bankruptcy protection. heavy debt and competition from lower priced rivals stretched them to the breaking point. a&p was founded as the great

atlantic and pacific tea company in 1859. when we come back here tonight, the most unlikely man who says he's found his thrill. ♪ [ male announcer ] open up a cadillac during our season's best sales event. and receive the gift of asphalt. experience the cadillac of crossovers, the striking srx. it's the one gift you can open up all year long. see your cadillac dealer for this attractive offer. backed by the peace of mind that only comes from cadillac premium care maintenance. the season's best sales event. from cadillac. from cadillac premium care maintenance. this holiday, do you really want to cut corners by using a broth with msg? swanson chicken broth has no added msg. so for a perfect meal, the secret is swanson, 100% natural chicken broth.

another heart attack could be lurking, waiting to strike. a heart attack that's caused by a clot, one that could be fatal. but plavix helps save lives. plavix, taken with other heart medicines, goes beyond what other heart medicines do alone, to provide greater protection against heart attack or stroke and even death by helping to keep blood platelets from sticking together and forming dangerous clots. ask your doctor if plavix is right for you. protection that helps save lives. [ female announcer ] certain genetic factors and some medicines, such as prilosec, reduce the effect of plavix leaving you at greater risk for heart attack and stroke. your doctor may use genetic tests to determine treatment. don't stop taking plavix without talking to your doctor as your risk of heart attack or stroke may increase. people with stomach ulcers or conditions that cause bleeding should not use plavix. taking plavix alone or with some other medicines, including aspirin, may increase bleeding risk, so tell your doctor when planning surgery. tell your doctor all medicines you take, including aspirin, especially if you've had a stroke.

if fever, unexplained weakness or confusion develops, tell your doctor promptly. these may be signs of ttp, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, reported sometimes less than 2 weeks after starting plavix. other rare but serious side effects may occur. check out the myboniva program. it's free to join, and it shows you lots of ways to help improve your bone strength. like bone-healthy exercises that are easy to do. boniva works with your body to help stop and reverse bone loss. and myboniva gives you calcium-rich recipes... monthly reminders... and even a month of boniva, free. so call or go to myboniva.com and sign up now. ( announcer ) don't take boniva if you problems with your esophagus, low blood calcium, severe kidney disease, or can't sit or stand for at least one hour. follow dosing instructions carefully. stop taking boniva and tell your doctor if you have difficult or painful swallowing, chest pain or severe or continuing heartburn, as these may be signs of serious upper digestive problems. if jaw problems or severe bone, joint, and/or muscle pain develop, tell your doctor.

ask your doctor if boniva can help you stop losing and start reversing. and join the myboniva program. to get one month free, plus more tips and recipes, visit boniva.com, or call 1-800-4-boniva. ♪ sad to say, it will not be on i tunes but that is vladamir putin. all part of a star-studded benefit for children with cancer held in russia, including quite a number of recognizage american celebrities. mr. putin memorized the lyrics as part of his english language study program. it was not pa profile in sportsmanship or a proud moment for the new york jets last

night. they were on their lay to losing to the dolphins when one of the jets coaches tripped a member of the dolphins. the jets strength and conditioning coach, responsible for keeping his players healthy, dripped nolan carol during a punt return. he has apologized at a news conference and is awaiting his punishment from the league and the team, which he says he'll accept. on the subject of football, brett favre's streak will stand at 297 games. favre not in the lineup for tonight's game in detroit. his streak stands as an nfl record dating back to 1992. this is favre's 20th and toughest season in the nfl. nancy reagan on hand today at the unveiling of the stamp that will mark the centennial anniversary of her husband's birth. the ronald reagan stamp goes on sale february 10th, just days after what would have been the

former president's 100th birthday. and attention all insomniacs, night owls and early risers living in areas with no cloud cover. there's going to be a good predawn show in the skies tonight into tomorrow morning. that's when astronomers are expecting the peak of the meteor shower. the premiere winter event in the skies. at the height of the shower, they are expecting over 100 meteors an hour. most of them high in the sky, they say, varying in actual size, from a grain of sand to basketball size meteors. if you capture any of it, take good pictures and share them with us at nightly.msnbc.com. we'll take a break. when we come back. the army calling in heavy artillery for a growing problem, let's say, in its own ranks. [ coughing ] [ tea kettle whistle ] [ water pouring ] [ punches ]

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from ft. len norwood, missouri. >> reporter: it's 0600. new recruits, new rules. and a new enemy. fat. at the morning meal, the bacon is baked, and donuts banished forever. >> that's the problem i have, donuts. that's personally one of my favorite things to eat. >> reporter: and that is the problem, according to the army. >> the type of soldier, the trainee we're getting in from society nowadays are not coming in as good a shape as they should be. >> reporter: gone are fried chicken, french fries, fried everything. soda machines spill out gatorade. ft. len nardwood is the first of five basic training camps overhauling food and fitness. as the army takes aim at better fitness and nutrition, this is

the first substantial change to its training regimen in decades. the morning workout has a decidedly yoga feel, more core exercises, fewer pushups. training soldiers like elite athletes. only they're getting ready for war. it's called the soldier fueling initiative, and targets army recruits but it's being looked at by the air force, navy and marines. >> hopefully it will change the culture that they've brought into the service, the fast food, the o-food group, the nachos, doritos, and oreos. >> chocolate. >> reporter: any chocolate around here? >> no, no chocolate. >> reporter: napoleon once said an army marches on its stomach. in today's army, the newest worry is the size of those stomachs. and that's our broadcast for this monday night. thank you for being here with us as we start off a new week together. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back

here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com .